Poultry shackle



Nov. 10, 19.53

P. J. ALTENPOHL POULTRY SHACKLE 2 Sheets-Sheer, 1

Filed Sept. 11, 1950 Paul J. A/lenpoh/ INVENTOR.

Nov. 10, 1953 Filed Sept. 11, 1950 P. J. ALTENPOHL POULTRY SHACKLE 2 Sheets-Sheer. 2

Paul J. A/fenpoh/ mmvron.

Patented Nov. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 2,658,236 7 A g I pf POULTRY SHACKLE 7 Paul J. Altenpohl, Philadelphia, Pa. Application September 11, 1950, Serial No. 184,295

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in poultry shackles.

The primary object of this invention is toprovide a poultry shackle which will automati cally clasp the leg of the fowl upon the samebeing placed between the gripping elements thereof.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a device of this character in which the gripping elements thereof will be automatically and releasably retained in the open position upon being moved to such position.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which will include a pair of leg gripping units that may be independently actuated to grip a leg of the fowl.

Yet another important object of this invention is to provide a device of this character in which each of the gripping units may be simultaneously actuated for the release of the legs of the fowl from between the gripping elements thereof, and, in conformity with the preceding objects, a device wherein, when the gripping units are actuated for the release of the fowl, the gripping elements will be automatically retained in such releasing position.

A meritorious feature of the present invention resides in the means for actuating opening and closing movement of the grippin jaws, and the provision of such means for each of the shackle units, whereby the shackle units may be independently actuated.

Still another important feature of the present invention resides in the combined trigger and latching means for holding the gripping jaws in the open position.

A final important feature to be specifically enumerated herein resides in the moving parts of the shackle unit with the exception of the necessarily exposed portions of the jaws and the trigger being enclosed to serve the interests of sanitation and longer life for the moving parts, together with the common means for actuating opening movement of both of the pairs of jaws.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by.

way of example only in the accompanying draw-f ings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the present invention, the outlines of certain concealed portions of thesame being indicated in dotted outline, and showing the same with the jaws in the closed position;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the device as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional detail view of one of the shackle units, this view being taken substantially upon the plane of the section line.

3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a central vertical sectional view of the present invention with the jaws in the open position, this view being taken upon the plane of the section line 4-4 of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the device as shown in Figure 4, this view being taken upon the plane of the section line 5--5 of Fig-' ure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken upon the plane of the section line 6--. of Figure 4;

' Figure 7 is a perspective view of the combined trigger and latch member; and.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the jaws utilized in the device.

Reference is now made more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and in which the poultry shackle is designated generally at l0.

The shackle lo'comprises a frame ll formed of oppositely extending shackle units l2 and I4 connected at their adjacent ends by a substantially U-shaped body 16.

Inasmuch as the shackle units l2 and H are identical,it is believed that a description of one will suflice for both. The shackle unit [4 vconsists of a housing formed by a plate I8 integral 35 with the body 16 and projects laterally there-'- from, the plate [8 carrying spaced side walls 20,

with a bottom closure plate 22 being provided that is secured to the walls by fasteners 24 and to the plate l8 by spaced fasteners 26 that extend plate ill for a purpose to presently appear.

A pair of jaws 28 and 30 are disposed between the plates l8 and 22 and project outwardly in between the plates [8 and 22 to terminate in offset hooked portions 32 and 34, respectively, said jaws 28 and 30 being pivoted upon the fasteners 26 for relative opening and closing movement of the offset portions 32 and 34. It will be noted that the portions 32 and 34 of the jaws are offset so that when the jaws are swung into the closed position such portions are in overlapping relationship as shown in Figures 1 and 3.,

Means is provided for opening and closing the jaws and for also. resiliently urging the jaws 65 towards the closed position. As best shown in,

across the space between the plate 22 and the 3 Figure 5, the jaws 28 and 38 include offset overlapping portions 36 and 38, such overlapping portions 36 and 38 being received between the upper and lower legs 38 and 40, respectively, of a U-shaped member slidably mounted between the plates l8 and 22, the portions being pivotally mounted on a. pivot pin 42 extending between the legs 33 and 40, the arrangement being such that upon movement of the pivot pin 42 toward the projecting ends of the jaws, such jaws will be urged to an open position, and upon movement of the pin 42 in the opposite direction, the jaws will be urged into closed position, it being understood that the pivotal connection between the pivot pin 42 and the portions 35 and 38 will be sufficiently loose due to the provision of the slots 4| and 4.3 in the portions 38 and 38, respectively, receiving the pivot pin 42 so as to afiord the requisite degree of'lost motion between the swinging movement of the jaws 28 and 38 and the reciprocating movement of the pin 42 between the pivotal fasteners 26.

The legs 39 and 40 are connected by a web 44 having adjustable threaded engagement with one end of a plunger rod 46 that has an enlargement 48 on its other end that is slidable between the plates l8 and '2-2 and the side walls 28. An intermediate portion of the rod '46 is slidable through an apertured guide plate -58 extending between the plates 18 and 22 and which is located in recesses 52 the side walls '28 to prevent movement thereof as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4. A coiled compression spring 34 is disposed about the rod 46 and seated between the plate 58 and the enlargement 48 to urge movement of the rod '46 from the jaws 32 and 34, thus mo ing the pivot pin 42 to urge closing movement of'the jaws.

As thus far described, it will be readily apparent that movement of the rod 46 toward the Jaws will open the latter, whereas movement of the rod '46 under the action of the spring 54 will cause the jaws to close.

Means is provided for releasably latching the jaws 'in "the open position, which means will be responsive to an object being pressed inwardly between the jaws to unlatch the latter. Such means comprise 'a'generally u-shaped combined trigger and latch member designated generally at 56 and shown in perspective'in Figure 7. The member 38 includes spaced legs 58 connected by 'a'web portion 88, such legs 58 having elongated slots 82 therein. As best shown in Figure 4, the member "56 is slidably disposed between the laws as and an and the closure plate 22, with the web portion 68 projecting outwardly from between the plates l8 and '22 closely adjac'e'n't the space between the' jaws 28 and 38 when the latter 'are in the open position shown in Figure 5, and with the legs 58 disposed on opposite sides of the lower leg 48 and with the pivot fasteners 26 slidably received through the slot 62. It will thus be 'seenthat the member II is free'to reciprocate to an extent limited by the-length of the slot 62 and that the same may be movedby an object placed between the jaws and pressed against the web portion 68. The free ends of the legs 58 are provided with laterally projecting lugs 64 that engage with locking dogs 68 formed on the jaws 28 and 38 when the latter are in the open position shown in Figure. 5. However, the lugs 64 may be disengaged from the lock n dogs '66 upon sliding movement of the member'16 away fromthe por- D118 3! End 14 f the jaws. The member *96 is biased toward the portions 32 and 34 so that the lugs 64 will engage the locking dogs 66 whenever the jaws are opened by means of plungers 88 slidably mounted in recesses 18 provided in the side walls 20. The plungers 68 engage the lugs 64 and are urged toward the latter by compression springs 12 disposed in the recesses 18 and bearing against the inner end or the plungers 68.

Means is provided for opening the jaws of the shackle units l2 and [4 which include hand levers 14 carried by the body 18. As best shown in Figure 4, the levers 14 extend through suitable openings 16 in the body l6 and have their lower ends 13 received in apertures formed in the enlargement 48. The levers 14 are pivoted intheir ends by pins 82 in the opengs 16 so that the oscillation of the levers 14 about their pivots will be accompanied by reciprocation of the rod 46, and vice versa. It will be noted, upon comparing Figures 1 and 4, that when the aws are closed and the enlargements 48 in their closest proximity that the upper portions of the levers 14 are swung outwardly from the body I6 so that the upper portions may be gripped in the hand and urged together to force the jaws open against the action of the springs 54, it being noted that when the jaws are in the open position, as in Figure 4, that the upper portions of the levers 14 are received within recesses 84 at the top of the body l6 and that the lower portion of the levers 14 are received within recesses 86 at the bottom of the body I, it being noted that the levers 14 are ofiset adjacent their pivotal connections so as to snugly fit into saidrecesses 84 and 86.

In order that the poultry shackle l8 maybe conveniently suspended from an overhead support or secured to a conveyor chain or the like, the upper end of the body I6 is provided with a U-shaped securing loop 88 that is secured to the body l6 by means of asuitable fastener '80.

It will'now be-evident that there has been provided a poultry shackle which includes two shackle units that may be individually actuated to hold the leg of a fowl, and that such poultry shackle will suspend the poultry in a vertical position most convenient for the cleaning and dressing of the latter. It should be pointed out in passing that suspending poultry in the vertical position permits the proper drainage 01''- blood therefrom after the killing operation, and that while so held securely by the present invention, the hooks thereof may be thoroughly cleaned, a difficult operation when using extant poultry'shackles.

Since, "from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of-this poultry shackle are readily apparent, further description is believed to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications and equivalents will readily occur to 'those skilled in the art after a consideration of the :ioregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended. to limit the invention to the exact embodiment shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to which fall within the scope or the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A poultryshackle comprising a generally Teshaped body, a pair or oppositely directed. shackle'units carried by said body, each of said shackle units comprising a pair 'or ecuperating jaws, said jaws being disposed between a pair of plates forming a portion of said body and pivotally connected together by a first pivot pin and to said plates by second pivot pins for relative opening and closing swinging movement, an operating rod slidably mounted in said body for movement for selectively urging said jaws into open and closed positions, said rod being connected to said first pivot pin, spring means carried by said body urging said rod to a jaw closing position, locking dogs on said jaws, a combined latch and trigger member slidably mounted between said plates for movement between a first position engaging the locking dogs to prevent closing movement of the jaws and a second position disengaging said jaws, said member being spring-urged toward said first position, said member projecting from between the plates adjacent the jaws to be moved by an object disposed between the jaws toward the second position.

2. The poultry shackle of claim 1 wherein the rods of said shackle units are in alignment and have spaced opposed inner ends, levers pivotally carried by said body having ends engaged with said rods for movement therewith, whereby said levers may urge said rods to jaw-opening positions.

3. The poultry shackle of claim 1 wherein said combined latch and trigger member is retained between said plates by said second pivot pins.

PAUL J. AL'I'ENPOHL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 409,843 James Aug. 27, 1889 448,413 Curtis Mar. 17, 1891 661,637 Farrell Nov. 13, 1900 899,391 Farrell Sept. 22, 1908 1,008,724 Lenderman Nov. 14, 1911 1,796,197 Galbraith Mar. 10, 1931 2,435,706 Barker Feb. 10, 1948 

